Comparing Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone6

These days most people practically live on their phones. Having the right phone can really make a difference in your professional and personal life. If you’ve been considering getting a new smartphone, there’s a good chance you’ve been hearing a lot about both the new iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. Which is better? Read our handy comparison, and decide for yourself which smartphone is right for you.
Design
The Galaxy S5 is heavier and thicker 5.59X2.85×0.32 inches and weighing 5.11 ounces versus the iPhone 6, which is 5.44×2.64X .027 inches and weighs 4.55 ounces. It appears at first glance that the iPhone wins. The iPhone is also made of aluminum, while the S5 is primarily made of plastic. Materials a win for iPhone? Maybe. There have been multiple complaints of the iPhone bending when left in a back pocket, and even a YouTube video documenting that the iPhone can be bent just using your thumbs. This makes the iPhone 6’s construction definitely a concern. There is also the fact that the S5 is water resistant for up to 30 minutes at 1meter (about 3 feet). The iPhone has no water resistance. While the iPhone 6’s construction is beautiful with ion-strengthened glass and a beautiful curving shape, these design flaws seriously hold it back from becoming a favorite.
Display
The Galaxy display is a little larger at 5.1 inches as opposed to iPhone’s 4.7 inches. The pixel resolution on the Galaxy is also a little better, at 432 vs. 351 for the iPhone. The features on the display are basically the same with iPhone providing a coating that resists fingerprints. Both of these handsets are fairly easy to navigate, but the iPhone has an application called Reachability. If you double tap the touch ID button, half the screen will slide down enabling you to reach the top areas. Galaxy has a one handed mode that decreases screen size and is easy to turn on and off. The LCD display that iPhone is using allows you to easily see the screen from almost any angle, but the AMOLED display on the Galaxy provides clearer, more concise picture resolution.
Processor
The Galaxy runs on a 2.5ghz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU. This processor won’t use the Android L 64 Bit OS, and the iPhone runs on a 64bit A8. While both phones are quick, the iPhone comes out slightly faster in standard tests.
Battery
In day-to-day, normal use, both phones perform well. However, the Galaxy has a huge battery, and the screen will go to black and white mode and shut off apps to save battery life. The Galaxy also has a replaceable battery, so if you require a lot of battery power, the Galaxy wins.
Data Storage
This is the area where the two phones begin to diverge. The iPhone does not have a data storage port, so you will need to purchase the data storage you need up front. The cost of a 128GB iPhone without a contract is about $1040.00, while the cost of a 16GB Galaxy S5 is about $549.00. Even when you add in the cost of a 128GB micro SD card (which sells for about $70.00), the Galaxy is considerably cheaper.
Camera
The Galaxy S5 has two cameras; the main camera has 16.0 megapixels, and the sub camera is 2.0 megapixels. In comparison, the iPhone has one 8.0 megapixel camera. However, the iPhone uses a fairly large sensor ( 1/3 inches), which allows each pixel to absorb more light. The iPhone’s front facing camera is 1.2 megapixels. The Galaxy’s main camera is 16 megapixels and its forward facing camera is 2.0 megapixels. On the surface this would appear to give Galaxy the edge however, the flash on the iPhone uses an amber and white flash, which results much better pictures in low light situations. It also creates more natural-looking pictures. The Galaxy provides more concise photos, but the exposures aren’t as good, and the low light photos are nowhere near as good. The Galaxy does have the capability to refocus and improve shots after they have been taken. In video, the Galaxy has 4K shooting capability to provide quality video production. The iPhone video records at 240fps and has the ability to continuously take pictures in video mode, assuring you get the action photo that you need.
Technology
The NFC technology on Galaxy allows you to touch screens together to share photos and data. The GalaxyS5 also has an infrared sensor that will allow you to use the phone as a television/home theater system remote. While both phones have fingerprint scanning, the iPhone’s is currently only used to unlock the phone. The Galaxy however, has obtained certification from PayPal allowing much wider use. The apps and widgets that can be added to the Galaxy are limitless, including the option to write your own applications. The iPhone is limited to only Apple approved products from the App Store. Where Samsung allows you to choose between several different mobile web browsers, iPhone only allows Safari.
Operating System
The iPhone 6 runs on the new iOS8. The launch started out with the HealthFit app being disabled while Apple finished the patch, but even with this app disabled, there were complaints of cellular service and TouchID functionality failing to work. Assuming that Apple will get these things fixed, we’ll compare operating systems without examining the complaints. This OS works well with other Apple devices, including being able to answer your phone from your iPad. The Samsung Galaxy runs on Android 4.4, and there is an upgrade coming soon. The Galaxy will allow changes to the OS, and there are more apps available through the Google Play Store. However, in general the quality of Apple apps tend to be better.